This is the draw for Day 2 of the Watson Cup for the Foursomes at Muirfield. Here is a printable version. Would both Teams and Reserves, and Officials, please arrive in full blazer, shirt, tie and chinos. Please arrive at 1300 at the earliest. Leave Clubs at the East entrance and place kit, the one to be used is noted on the draw below, in the locker room. Then proceed through the outdoor route to the Club Room for lunch at 1345. Team photos outside Clubhouse. Warm up from 1430. First Tee at 1500. Photos from Royal Burgess will be added later.

These are the results of the Wednesday Four-Balls at Royal Burgess. Well done to the South Carolina Team for easing into a lead – 8.5 points to 3.5 points. But there are still 39 points to play for!

This is the draw for Day 1 of the Watson Cup. The two Captains, DJ Russell and Stephen Behr, have exchanged Team Sheets. Here is a printable version. These look like being tremendous matches! Timetable below:

The Timetable Day 1 for the Fourballs at Royal Burgess Players and Officials arrive no later than 1100. Dress code for Players and Captains is navy blazer, white shirt, Watson Cup tie, and the sand coloured chinos from Ralph Lauren. For Committee members it is navy blazer, white shirt, club tie of your choice, and grey trousers. For all other Parents and Siblings and Guests, dress code is optional, but casual wear must be smart, and excludes the wearing of jeans, football shirts, trainers and caps.

The Timetable Day 1 for the Fourballs at Royal Burgess Players and Officials – arrive in your blazers etc no later than 1100. Dress code for Players and Captains is navy blazer, white shirt, Watson Cup tie, and the sand coloured chinos from Ralph Lauren. For Committee members it is navy blazer, white shirt, club tie of your choice, and grey trousers. For all other Parents and Siblings and Guests, dress code is optional, but casual wear must be smart, and excludes the wearing of jeans, football shirts, trainers and caps.

The Vice Captain of Royal Burgess will welcome everybody, and make a short speech. All present will be asked to view a message from Tom Watson, after whom this event is named. 

These are the Team outfits which the East Lothian and Edinburgh Team and Reserves, and Team Captains, will be wearing at the three Matches in the Watson Cup. See photos below.

Day 1 at Royal Burgess – Green zip top, plain blue shirt, and white shorts.

Day 2 at Muirfield – White zip top, striped blue shirt, and blue shorts.

Day 3 at Gullane No. 2 – Pink zip top, white shirt, and blue shorts – again.  

Players and Captains should turn up at the host Clubs on the days of the 3 matches all wearing the sand coloured chinos, with navy blue blazers, white shirts and the Watson tie (Which is still to arrive!) The Captains’ kit includes Captains’ armbands.

Committee members should turn up wearing navy blue blazers and grey trousers, white shirt and Watson tie. Everyone should bring the correct golf kit for the day, and a suit bag in which their formal wear can be secured. Committee members have one set of kit from Murray Golf, courtesy of Brian O’Connor’s donation from North Capital. These will have to be worn at all 3 days.

A list of the prizewinners, and prizes from previous MDs can be found here. A big thanks are due to Shona Paton, the Gifford Captain, Steve Austin and Ric Foulner for managing the event today. The course looked great, and the rough was long! But play was very slow. See below! We also had a visit from a new Golf Genius employee – Jenny Potter, who called in to see how it works at our end.

Gifford used their home advantage and came in with 155 points with their 4 best scores. That might be the first time they have won a MatchDay! Well done! They were 12 points ahead of Kilspindie and 15 ahead of Haddington. 

There was some great scoring by Alex Martin and Rory Leitch who each had 43 Stableford points. Alex won 1st prize on count back with 16 points on the last 6 holes, to Rory’s 13.  Owen Malcolm was 3rd with 42 points. In the scratch section, Magnus Braby won with 36 points, followed closely by Brodie Cunningham and Jack Collingswood on 35 points.

SLOW PLAY – CAUSE? – Some Players seem to be reluctant to play provisional balls when their shots MAY be lost. This happened today a few times when following groups had to be waved through after a search by Payers in front who had lost a ball. The Players whose balls were lost had to take the “walk of shame” because they had not played a provisional. There is no shame in playing a provisional ball, in fact it is of great credit to Players when they consider their partners and others playing behind them by playing a provisional. Tip – keep an older ball in your pocket as your provisional. Play it if there is any doubt that you might be lost. If you find your first ball, forget the provisional which might even involve yet another search!

Team and Individual scores below. League Table updated. Craigielaw maintain their 7 point lead over Gullane. The OOMs can now be seen on your Golf Genius Apps – go to MD5 – Members Portal – Season Standings. You can see both Scratch and Handicap OOMs. Players scores submitted to WHS at 2230 hours. Prize list will be updated soon. 

The Watson Cup arrangements are being finalised now, and we hope that many of the Players in our League will attend to lend their support to our team! The event takesplace over Royal Burgess, Muirfield and Gullane No. 2, on the 5th, 6th and 7th July respectively. The times of Matches can be seen on our Calendar on this website.

If you ever had any doubt about the value of Team Golf to individuals, please watch this “No Laying Up” Youtube video of the Girls Team at Stanford University, which I think is absolutely astonishing, and demonstrates the power of great Team Spirit!  So our Watson Cup Team all have to be working for each other. You can be sure the Americans will be! 

Congratulations to the Team from the Glen who won Match Day No.4 at Gullane No.3 with a fine total of 155 points from their best 4 out of 6 scores. Craigielaw and Musselburgh Toun were close behind. Results listed below. The best of the day individual scores were by Cameron Brown of Musselburgh Toun with 44 net Stableford points and by Alexander Yuill of Craigielaw with 39 scratch points. Alexander carded a gross 4 under par round of 64 including 4 birdie 2s and a double bogey! Card reproduced below. Many thanks to Gullane Golf Club and to the helpers – Chief Scorer Jack Rogan, the Starter Joseph Cookson, Calum Yuill, and Gullane’s Asst/Pro Tom Bell who ensured that 63 Players all proceeded to the first tee in time. Thanks to all the Catering staff, and to Myles and the Pro Shop staff who all looked after the organisers through the day, and all the Parents and Convenors who helped. We were pleased to see Andrew’s parents Jackie and Eric Irvine, currently taking their annual holiday in the sunny part of Gullane’s wonderful new Clubhouse. Eric is currently resting from his contract as the stuntman  on the next Men in Black movie. (Photo below.)The League table has been updated and can be seen on our home page. Craigielaw consolidated their lead over Gullane and West Links Fidra. The OOMs have been updated and now show the top 50 players in both Scratch and Handicap. These can be seen on the drop down for Orders of Merit 2022 on the Home Page. Scores have been posted to WHS. The Leaderboard and all scores can be seen on the Golf Genius App. The remaining Match Days in 2022 and League Championships are all now open on Golf Genius for entry. A US Kids 8 iron was found and handed in to the Pro-shop. Any claimants?

Our thanks are due to all concerned at Longniddry Golf Club for superb hospitality and course conditions today at our MD3. And thanks to our usual group of helpers! The scoring was good in tough conditions. 61 Players took part. The best 4 out of 6 scores counted for each Team. The winning Team were the East Lothian Girls for whom Molly Chapman scored a wonderful 47 points, 9 points ahead of Team mate Ava Simon in 2nd place with 38 points. Ben Austin of Haddington was 3rd, also on 38 points. The East Lothian Girls Team consisted of only 4 players, and with the help of Louise Martin and Evie McCallum, they totalled 155 points, 22 points ahead of Gullane and Craigielaw on 133. Gullane edged 2nd place on a count back with a 5th Player’s score of 29 to Craigielaw’s 28. In the scratch section, Sean Gallacher of Longniddry scored 32 points, with Alexander Yuill of Craigielaw on 30 points, and Harris Munro of West Links Bass on 29 points. The scores have been posted to WHS so any handicap adjustments will take place overnight. The EL Girls Spring Meeting took place simultaneously and Frances Hall will let us know who the winners were in that. The League table has been updated and Craigielaw moved to the top of the League! Prizes can be collected at the next MD4 at Gullane No.3. Players can now enter MDs 4 and 5, and our ELJGL Championships at Kilspindie through the Golf Genius App. The season long Orders of Merit have been updated. Copies of the top 25 in both the scratch and handicap sections can be seen below. Full versions can be seen on the Golf Genius App by going to the Member Portal and clicking on “Season Points.” Hudson Blair, Cameron Brown and Jack Collingswood lead the way in the net section. Jack leads the way in the scratch section and is 11 points ahead of Adam Nichol, but Sean Gallacher, from only two starts, both of which he won, is in 3rd place already. It is the best 6* from 10 scores that will count, so try to play in as many events as possible! * Subject to reviewing and reducing to 5 mid-season. The next 2 Match Days are at Gullane No.3 on the 15th May, and at Gifford on the 19th June. Please enter these, and our Championships at Kilspindie on the 15th August through the Golf Genius App if you are available. Cheers, Dave Warren.

Well done to the West Links Fidra Team who tallied up 157 points with their 4 best scores to win their 2nd MD in a row to stay top of the League! Craigielaw again came in 2nd with 150 points. Congratulations to Sean Gallacher, recent winner of the Lothians Junior Champion of Champions, who scored 36 gross points and to Connor McCarthy who scored 43 net points. League table updated. The OOMs have been updated – see OOMs “dropdown” on the menu bar. Jack Collingswood (Scratch) and Oscar Wilkinson (Handicap) are the current leaders. Many thanks to Dunbar for hosting all the Players and Volunteers, and for hosting a visiting Team from West Lancs Golf Club. Special thanks go to Gael Pollitt of the host Club who did the full stint of starter duties, and of course to Shona, Jack, Ric and Steve for all their help. And also to Hudson Blair’s Dad Pete who carried a radio round and helped to keep play moving. 

ENTRIES ARE ALSO OPEN ON GOLF GENIUS FOR MD3 AT LONGNIDDRY, MD4 AT GULLANE, AND FOR THE ELJGL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AUGUST AT KILSPINDIE.